Our bathroom wall is soggy and caved in at spots. Its seems as if whoever redid the bath tub and shower the people just put sheet rock up and covered it with a plastic wall covering. Now my wife and I are trying to redo it and are on quite the fixed budget and I'm not sure how or what to do to solve this dilemma. Anybody have any suggestions?

Five Star

05-17-2009 07:50 PM

If its that soggy then you should remove it all before the mold starts to grow and get worse,if it didnt already!
go to your local home center and pick up cement board and do the entire surround in it! then tile it.!

after doing demo make a disicision on the tub or shower pan condition,now would be the best and cheapest time to replace it, same with the shower diverter!

Aggie67

05-17-2009 07:57 PM

Sounds like somebody foisted a classic schlock job on you. My condolences. I had the same issue in my bathroom. Prior owner slapped up an illegal apartment, and put in a shower surround. He glued the surround right to the existing sheet rock. Horrifying.

Take the dry wall down, replace it with cement board. You can probably take down the existing surround, scrape it and clean it, and put it back up if you're real careful. I was successful at doing that.

Take a pic and post it. We can all weigh in on the correct steps to take.

Aggie67

05-17-2009 08:00 PM

Hey Five Star, I still haven't made it over to Farrington Lake yet!

4just1don

05-17-2009 09:48 PM

there are whole threads on proper steps to take. Unaced insulation then poly over tub and walls extending down over the lip of tub,

then cement board,

then redguard or similiar

then tile,grout and sealer!!

Anything less is asking for do over.

Oh and while we are at it ANY punky or compromised framing is replaced all first!! that means walls floors anything!! IF your gutting the whole room the mold proof paperless drywall for the REST of the room is a great idea to prevent mold in a damp likely spot,,,,a bathroom.